Dispensing device



May 16, 1939. M. THEODORE DISPENSING DEVICE 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1937 Manae Theodorey 1939- M. THEODORE. ,158,916

' DISPENSIING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unucnkw -W/ormuzi j hzociore Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE Manuel Theodore, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Measurite Products Company, Incorporated, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application November 24, 1937. Serial No. 176,331

. 8 Claims.

10 As a result, when the foam rises, it overflows theglass and has to be' removed. In the dispensing of a single keg of beer, the wastage resulting from improper drafting may amount to a considerable quantity.

15 The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device which will insure that a proper amount of liquid will be drawn into av container. I

Another important object of the invention is to no provide'a device which will accurately register the amount of liquid drawn from atank or the like.

In accordance with the last-mentioned object, the device of the presentinve'ntion includes means 25 which-will accurately register the amount of beverage dispensed, the invention including means to prevent the registering device from being tampered with. v

Other objects and advantages of this invention 30 will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the device of the present invention, including its housing, in side elevation and connected to a beer supply.- Y 35 Figure 2 is a front view of the invention.

Figure 3- is a top plan view of the invention with the housing removed.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, with the housing'removed, and M Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I0 designates a counter .or bar in which is mounted a cooling coil ll connected by a pipel2 with a 45 keg or other source of supply of a liquid such as beer.

55 lines, and so that they will contain only beer.

The outlet end of the coil II is connected by a line It to the upper end of a tank I4.

The tank N is also provided with a liquid outlet line H having its lower endit extending to a point adjacent the bottom of the tank, the outlet end of line I! leading to a faucet I! provided with a' draft nozzle 20. As best shown in Figure 4, the faucet l9 includes a valve 2| normally held closed by a coil spring 22, the operating stem of the valve extending through the head of the faucet to provide a valve handle 23 adapted to be operated mechanically as hereinafter described. 10

It will be understood that the device of my invention need not be used with the tank and coil structure described above, its connection to the tank and coil merely being described to disclose its operation. II

It will be apparent that by the structure described, beer may be drawn from the tank l4 through operation of the faucet l9 so that beer will flow from the nozzle Ml.v The purpose of the tank 14 and the lines connected thereto is to enable air to be initially drawn from the beer line through the air valve It so that these lines willbe filled with beer from thekeg or other source of supply. It the source of supply is then kept under a properly controlled pressure, beer will 5 uniformly flow from the beer dispensing nozzle 20. Referring to .Figure 3 to 5, the numeral designates a'housing ordinarily secured to the inner side of the bar l0. An electro-magnet 26 is fixed to the base of the housing, the electromagnet including an armature. pivoted at 28 so that it may have swinging movement. Armature 21 is normally held away from the solenoid of the electro-magnet by a coil spring 28J1aving one end secured to an upstanding arm 29 carried by a lateral extension, 30 of the armature, the other end of spring 28 being connected to a vertical plate 3| positioned at the rear of the armature. The range of movement of the armature 21 away from-the solenoid is determined by a set screw 33 threaded in the plate 3| .as best shown in Figure 4. The inner end of the extension 30 ofarmature 21 has a set screw 34 threaded therein which set screw is adapted to contact with the outer end of the operating handle 23 of faucet is, the set'screw being adjustable in the extension 30 so that it may beset to make proper contact with the operating handle 23.

As.will be obvious by the above arrangement,

energization of the solenoid of electro-magnet 26 will cause the-armature 21 to exert pressure upon the valve handle 23 so that the faucet l9 will be opened for flow, opening of the circuit to the electro-magnet then permitting the spring 28to' return the armature 21 to the position shown in nected to the bracket 42. When the armature 21- is in the outward position shown in Figure 4, the

latch 4|) is held upwardly and above the valve operating handle 23 by a cam arm 45 which extends alongside of and past the lateral extension 30 of the armature. The cam arm 45 is of such configuration that when the armature 21 moves inwardly to press the valve operating handle 23 inwardly to open position, latch 40 will be permitted to drop downwardly and in the path of returning or opening movement of theoperating handle 23.

The speed at which the armature 21 is returned from valve opening position to the position shown in Figure 4 is determined by a dashpot 46 mounted on the bracket 42, dash-pot 46 including a piston 48 (Figure 3) provided with a pistol rod 49 which is suitably connected to the armature 21. In the present embodiment of the invention, the p ston rod 49 has an aperture therein through hichextends the upper end of the arm 29 on armature 21. When the piston 46 is moved inwardly in the dash-pot 46 by the valve opening movement of the armature 21, air willbe forced out of the right hand or inner end of the dash-pot through the outlet port 52. Port 52 is controlled by a needle valve 53 andthe position of the needle valve with re.- spect to the port 52 is controlled by alever or key 54 including a hub adapted to extend through an aperture in the casing wall to engage the shank of the needle valve-53. When so positioned, the free end of the lever will be movable over a segment 55 -(Figure l) fixed to the outer wall of the casing and having depressions 56 spaced along its length in which a nub 51 on the lever may seat. By this arrangement, the position of the needle valvemay be varied by the operation of the lever or key 54, the depressions 56 being spaced along the segment 55 accordin to the spacing required to permit predetermined quantities or charges of liquid to flow past the valve 2| of faucet i9. For example, a predetermined time interval will be required for flow past valve 2| of suflicient beer to properly fill a six ounce glass, and one of the depressions 56 is so positioned in the segment 55 that when the lever ,or key 54 is aligned with that depression, the needle valve 53 will be opened to such an extent that the proper time interval will elapse before the piston 46 and armature 21 will'move to their normal positions. After the needle valve has 'been setas desired, the lever or key 54 may be' removed. As is usual,,a 'vent port 56 (Figure may be provided in the rear end of the dash-pot to let air in behind the piston 46.

The electro-magnet 26 is manually controlled by an electric switch 65, preferably of the push button type, mounted on the outside of casing 25. Electric current is supplied to the device through a lead 664 and the circuit between'the manual switch ill and the electro-magnet in- --cludes a circuit controlling device generally in- Figure 4 sothat the valve 2| will be closed by the dicated by the numeral 6 and so controlled by the latch 40 so that when the latch is in its downward position, as occurs when the flow valve 2| is opened, .the circuit to the electro-magnet 26 will be open. For the above purpose, the circuit controlling device 6| includes an upper contact arm 62 and a lower contact arm 63. The contacts 62 and 63 are normally held in closed position by the latch 40 so that when the manual switch 60 is operated to close the circuit, the current will flow to the electro-magnet 26 to energize the same. As has been heretofore explained, the armature 21 will then move inwardly against the solenoid of the electro-magnet 26, thereby moving the trip 45 inwardly to permit the latch 40 to drop behind the operating handle 23 of the flow valve. The, dropping of the latch 40 will permit the lower contact member 63 of circuit controller 6| to drop downwardly so that the circuit to the electrc-magnet 'will be broken. The deenergizing of the electro-magnet 26 will of course permit the armature 21 to move rearwardly, under the control of the dash-pot 46.

However, since the latch 40 will remain in downward position until the armature 21 has moved to its normal, outward position, the circuit to the electro-magnet can not again be closed through the manual switch 60 until the armature has reached its extreme outward position.

- the circuit.

The provision of the circuit control line device Bl insures that once the valve has been opened,

. it can not be operated. again until it has been properlyclosed by the mechanism included in the present invention. In-other' words, it is impossible to operate the manual switch to open the flow valve 2| for a six ounce flow and, when this flow has partly occurred, to again operate the manual switch so that a six ounce flow will again be initiated.

In order that the amount ofliquid drawn through the device may be known, a registering device 65 of any suitable type is included in the device, the-indicating dial 66 of the register preferably being visible through the rear face of the casing 25. Register 65 is connected to the armature 21 by'a link 61 so that the counter will be actuated upon each return or rearward movement of the armature. 21. Since, as has been stated above, the device will flow only, a measured quantity on each operation of the armature 21, the register 65 will indicate the exact amount, of liquid which has flowed through the valve from a keg to which it is connected.

of beer or other -liquid,'air may be fl wedfromv the beer lines and tank l4 through the air valve 16 so .that theseJines will be filled-with beer under a proper pressure, which may be regulated in any usual manner. The reading of the register may then be noted and, by use of the lever or' key 54, the position of dash-pot needle valve 53 may be set for the flow of a desired 'quantity' of beer on each operation of the flow valve 2| of faucet l9. For example, the valve 53 may be set for a six ounce flow of beer.- Whenthis has been done, the lever 54 may be removed. If desired, the air valve l6 may also be of such type that a removable key will be required to operate the same.

In order to draw liquid through the device, the manual valve 6| is operated to close the circuit in Figures 3 and 4) to suddenly move the valve operating handle 23 of faucet valve 2| inwardly or to open position against the action of the valve spring 22 so that liquid may flow from the faucet 20. When the armature 21 has moved the valve handle 23 to its extreme inward or open position, the trip arm 45 will permit latch 40 to drop behind the valve handle 22 so that the valve will be held in open position. The

dropping of the latch ll will'also cause the lower contact arm 53 to drop from contact 6| so that the circuit to the electro-magnet will be opened.

With the circuit open, the armature 21 will be drawn rearwardly (to the left in Figures 3 and 4) by the spring 2|, but this rearward movement will be controlled by the action of the dash-pot 46, the degree of retardation being determined by the extent to which dash-pot needle valve 53 has been opened by the use of lever or key it. When the armature reaches its normal position shown in Figure 4, the trip cam 45 carried thereby will move latch ll upwardly and valve operating handle 23 will be released to spring to closed position so that no more beer will flow from the nozzle 2|.

The return movement of armature 21 will also, through the rod 61, operate the register I! to indicate that a charge of beer of the quantity for which the lever 54 is set has been dispensed. As has been heretofore explained, it will be impossi-, ble to reactuate the electro-magnet 26 until the armature has returned to-normal position because the circuit controlling the electro-magnet will be open until latch 40 is forced upwardly at the conclusion of the armature return stroke by trip cam 45. I

It will be observed from the above that a like flow of beer will occur to each glass being filled while the lever is at the same setting. By proper regulation. of the device during manufacture, it is found that exactly the amount of flow can be provided to fill a glass of proper size, and

with no overflow as normally occurs from foaming. i

when the keg or other source to which the pipe I2 is connected has been emptied, the'reading. of the register 05 may be noted and, from this, the quantity of beer dispensed from the keg will be known;

, It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction disclosed,

and that the example of the use of the invention which has been given does not include all of the uses of which it is capable; also, that the phraseology employed in' the specification is'for the purpose of description and not oflimitation.

I claim:

l. A dispensing device including a valve, meansto normally hold said valve closed, valve operating means movable in one direction to open said valve, means to lock said valve in open position said valve operating means being movable in a return. direction, independently of said valve, and being adapted to release-said locking means at the conclusion of such return movement.

2. A dispensing device including a valve, means to normally hold said valve closed, electrically operated means to open said valve, means to open the circuit to said last-named means immediately the valve is fully opened, means to retard the closing of the valve, and means to reclose the 'circuit substantially simultaneously with the return oi the valve to closed position.

3. A dispensing device including a valve, means to urge said valve to closed position, an operating means electrically movable in one direction to 'open said valve, means actuated by valve opening movement of said operating means to open the circuit of the same, means to secure the valve in fully opened position, means to return said operating means to normal position, and means operative after a predetermined time interval to release said valve securing means.

'4. A dispensing device including a valve, means to normally hold said valve closed, valve operating means movable in one direction to contact with and open'said valve. means to move said valve operating means in the opposite direction and out of contactwith the valve, and means to hold the valve at fully opened position for a predetermined time interval.

5. A dispensing device including a valve,

means to normally hold said valve closed, valve operating means movable in one direction to contact with and open said valve, latch means operative on such movement of the valve operating means to hold the valve in open position, means to move said valve operating means in the opposite direction and out of contact with the valve, and means operative upon the lastmentioned movement of said valve operating means to release said latch means from engagement with the valve.

6. A dispensing device including a valve. means to urge said valve to closed. position, an operating means movable -in one direction to open said valve, means to hold the valve in open position, means to return said operating means to normal position, and means operative after a predetermined time interval to release said valve holding means.

'l. A dispensing device including a valve, means to urge said valve to closed position, means to open said valve, latch means to hold said'valve in open position, means to retract said valve opening means from said valve when the valve is in open position, dash-pot means to control said retracting movement of the valve opening means, and an operative connection between said opening means and said latch means to release the latter from the valve when said valve opening means has been moved out of the path of closing movement of the valve.

.8. A dispensing device including a valve,

to open said valve, means to open the circuit to MANUEL THEOl JORE. 

